we passed (known as the Hill road, from Little Rock to Helena) was extremely rugged, and it was not without considerable difficulty and great fatigue to the men that we succeeded in getting within 1 mile of the enemy's intrenchments. At this point I found the road blockaded with fallen timber to such an extent that I halted the brigade of which I was temporarily in command, sent Captain Miller's company of cavalry, which had been in advance, to the rear, and sent forward Captain P. G. Roper's company (A), deployed as skirmishers. General Fagan now arrived at the head of the column, and ordering all the field and staff to dismount, we moved forward as rapidly as possible toward keeping well in advance of the main body. At 4.05 a. m. my skirmishers reported the enemy in sight. By order of General Fagan, I moved my regiment in double-quick by the right flank along the crest of a ridge running at right angles with the road and parallel with the enemy's first line of intrenchments, and, without halting, so soon as my left had passed the road I moved by the left flank in line of battle toward the enemy. Without waiting for the other regiments of the brigade to form, I gave the order to charge, which was responded to by loud shouts along my entire line. The men dashed down the steep declivity amid a perfect storm of bullets, climbed step by step over vast piles of fallen timber up the rugged sides of almost perpendicular hills, and finally, after unheard-of toil and fatigue, scaled the opposing height and drove the enemy in consternation from their first line of defenses. Here I waited to recruit my men, whose strength was very much exhausted, and to give Colonel [S. S.] Bell time to form his regiment and move up on my left. As soon as Colonel Bell informed me that he was ready, our two regiments moved forward together, and, after encountering and overcoming obstacles similar to and even greater than those in front of the first line of rifle-pits, drove the enemy out and took possession of their second line. Colonel [J. P.] King had, by order of General Fagan, under a heavy and constant fire, and after almost superhuman exertions, placed his regiment 200 or 300 yards beyond my extreme right, partly in rear of the enemy's third line of intrenchments and nearly at right angles with the position occupied by Colonel Bell's regiment and mine. I sent a courier to communicate with him,w ho returned with the gratifying intelligence that his regiment was in position, and was ready and anxious to charge the enemy. The three regiments now moved forward with a shout, and notwithstanding the steep hill-sides covered with immense masses of fallen timber, up and over which we had to climb, and notwithstanding the perfect hail-storm of bullets that assailed us at every step, we soon drove the enemy out of his third line of defense. We soon rallied our exhausted troops, reformed our broken lines, and again charged the enemy, driving him from his fourth line of intrenchments. It was now about 7 a. m. My regiment had been hotly engaged for nearly three hours. The men were completely exhausted. Numbers had fainted from excessive heat and fatigue. Many had been killed and wounded, and a large majority in each of our three regiments were utterly unable to fight any longer. We began to be discouraged. From the very commencement of the action we had been listening for the guns of Generals Price, Marmaduke, and Walker, but thus far we had listened in vain. Every brigade, except ours, had failed to attack at daylight, as ordered. Even the very guns on Graveyard Hill were wheeled around and directed against our lines, which they swept again and again from one end to the other with grape and canister. Just at this moment the scene changed. Heavy and rapid volleys of musketry were heard on our left. General Fagan announced to us that our friends were